Sanctus Real - Lead Me

Casting Crowns - If We've Ever Needed You (live)

So much going on....

So much to thank GOD for.... Doubt I will get this all out but here is a quick(maybe) synopses of the ANSWER TO PRAYER/Prayer request.
After 7 weeks of Kelsey being "immobile" and much waiting, Jesus opened the door to get Kelsey seen by a Surgeon today, and we are ever so thankful. Some good news, some maybe news, and some I still choose to believe Jesus news. The scripture( our promise we have clung too)
Revelation 3:7-8
".......... these things saysHe who is holy, He who is true,"He who has the key of David,he who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens"; "I know your works, see, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it;for you have a little strength, have kept my word, and have not denied My name.

I am so glad we have THE only TRUE and MIGHTY GOD to take care of us and He is always on time... Praise His Holy name!!! So we are going to keep the Faith, Believing and know it will all work out perfectly, because everything HE does is perfect, even if it goes against what we THINK it should be.

So excited, the living room is looking more like a .... living room!!! Decorated a lil for fall, and as soon as all the walls and base boards were scrubbed, floor shined, more pictures hung.... we decided to get out 4 tables and start Scrap Booking... Something we have not done in SUCH a long time... SOOOO excited...... Have many projects on my mind I want to get done, want and NEED to get our family picture done, and updated ones of the girls.... A 14th Birthday coming up(for Shania), Thanksgiving, Kaitlyn's Birthday and CHRISTMAS!!! I can not WAIT till Christmas.... A dear dear friend gave us some AWESOME villages( to add to our collection) So excited to get those up.
I trust everyone is having a wonderful "Fall" season of thanksgiving....
I have been in one awesome Bible Study with 3 other ladies( yes its a Beth Moore study) and WOW, God works everything out in HIS perfect timing... once again... Fits right in for this season in my life...
So Thankful for Jesus who Saves me, Thankful for a Wonderful Husband, and three amazing young ladies, who have a heart for God!! There is NOTHING more I could want in this life, or to make this Season complete, than all of the above!!

Casey Rivers - cant even walk w/lyrics

Casting Crowns - If We've Ever Needed You (live)

In Christ Alone - Travis Cottrell

when mama prayed(This is my Grandma-thankful for Grandma's prayers)

"Wish you were here", by the Kingsmen

Send off to the Taylor's! miss them already.

Updates in pictures

This realy spoke to my heart, Lord help me to be a Doer!

Foundation of Biblical Obedience
by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
James 1:21–25

We do what we believe.

God’s Word is a vital part of our lives—we can’t live without it! Yet simply reading God’s Word each day is not enough to help us grow and mature as Christians. Continuing our look at foundations we must lay for a healthy family, notice today’s foundational pillar: obedience to God’s Word.

James states the importance of biblical obedience in James 1:22–25: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Imagine being told your outfit was on backward, even portraying shock and embarrassment at the mistake, but never turning your clothes around. So is simply reading the Bible, hearing of mistakes and short-comings in your life, and never changing your ways.

While your family needs to prioritize church attendance, more importantly than sitting in church each week, they need to see you obeying God’s Word. God wants us to be doers of His Word, obeying His commands, and following His advice. Hearing but not doing does not lead to growth.

If someone believes strongly in conservative values, they demonstrate them through political activism, candidate support, or voting. If someone believes strongly in a certain sporting team, they follow that belief with game attendance, faithful viewing of games, and even apparel purchase. People do what they believe.

When your children look at your life, what will they see that you believe? Will they see a parent who attends church and studies the Bible, but never acts upon God’s principles? Set the foundation of biblical obedience in your home by not only hearing God’s Word but acting upon that knowledge.

Encouraged!

To be very honest last night I was heavy burdened... I started a post and the Spirit checked me so I put it away... Now I know why... God is so good..

The devil is such a coward, not that is a news flash to anyone... his lil wheezily tactics are to hit us low and hard and when we are weak..
We have been listening to Bro.Chappell and He preached a series on "By His Spirit" and in one of his sermons he talked about how we have a power source yet don't use it the way God wants us too. I have been thinking about that and what is in my life that I am struggling with and not "tapping" into the power source which is THE HOLY SPIRIT. We have been dealing with some major stuff emotionally as well as physically, but the emotional part has been the hardest... Don't get me wrong, The Lord has been with us every step of the way, leading and guiding and it is ONLY by HIS power we have made it and are continuing to make it... but there was still that part of me that was just so wounded, it was still somewhat raw so to speak.

So after I got the girls going on school, I came in to the bedroom shut the door and "took" the time that was much needed to commune with my Savior. Was working on the Bible Study homework and WOW it just about knocked me out of my chair, had done day one and was headed to day two when half way through day two... what I was struggling with.. I MEAN THE EXACT SUBJECT MATTER was practically jumping off the page at me and through that the Holy Spirit spoke to me " don't ya think its about time ya completely let me have that hurt?" it was as if "He was asking me did I trust Him?" Oh how the Healing waters started flowing and on my face before the Master I cried out and HE HEARD ME-

Jeremiah-29:11-13
" For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

I know I already posted the song but I am going to type out the words anyway.

When I started walking with the Lord, I did not really trust Him, and how He longed for me to understand that I could.
So through the valley He led, afraid as I may be,
until I felt His loving arms embracing me.

(Chorus)
And I've been through enough to know He'll be enough for me,
He's come through to many times, that puts my mind at ease.
And I'll stake my very life, He's going to take care of me,
Because I've been through enough to know He'll be enough for me.


How could I ever doubt a God who's hands hold this universe,
how could I ever question His ability.
Ya see there's no place that I can go that He doesn't know exactly where I'll be,
He's always aware of wherever I am and just what I need.


(Chorus)
And I've been through enough to know He'll be enough for me,
He's come through to many times, that puts my mind at ease.
And I'll stake my very life, He's going to take care of me,
Because I've been through enough to know He'll be enough for me.

Thankful He is with us

We have been going through a "season" for the past 6 months( on top of the other ones we were already working through) this one has been extremely difficult due to the nature and those involved... Right now emotionally it is so painful yet how we feel the presence of our Almighty God! And I am so thankful for that... It is never easy to "work" through pain, but always better to deal head on with it now than wait for the devil to deceive us into thinking things we shouldn't and fall into a trap that is worse than what caused the pain.. Have you ever had someone you loved more than life itself and sat and listened to their hurts? and had you know you would of done something ? Nothing is more horrid than feeling helpless in moments like that... When you were trying to do good, be of help, and in the process have trust abused, over and over again?

I am glad we can cling to the Cross at all times, and specially in these times as well. When satan wants to come in like a flood, take a knife and keep stabbing an already deep and bleeding wound over and over again.... Jesus enables us to raise up a standard against him and he MUST flee...
We ask ourselves,, WHY? How?
Yet it is in these moments I feel The precious Holy Spirit sweep over the situation lift us up even when we don't feel it, and carry us just like" the foot prints in the sand"

And all Praise and Power and Glory to Jesus for making a means of escape

Thankful we serve a big God

In a time when things are so uncertain, more so than ever before, people are falling down all around, no one is what they seem to be, or thought to be, or they changed from who they use to be, everything almost seems backwards in the human term.

We are I believe smack dab in the middle of the "end times" I mean the END of all ends... yet instead of drawing closer to God, folks are so caught up in the past of unforgiveness, Double standards, or no standards at all. The big one that startles me and down right scares me is.. the adding to and taking away from scripture that has been going on in our once completely Bible believing churches... Since when do we just give up because the money isnt there to support the pastor? Since when do we let churches close or come close to it

Through The Fire - The Crabb Family/The Gaithers

CT Townsend and wife Becky singing He'll be Enough

Wonderful weekend!!

Had a Wonderful, encouraging, uplifting, Spirit filled Lord's Day!!! I know MY REDEEMER lives WITHIN my heart!! He walks with me and talks with me, and tells me I am HIS own! Had one of those " links connecting" kind of days.. I will have to share the testimony sometime soon... with pictures.. I am exhausted but so very very ... thrilled, encouraged, peaceful, and excited! So exciting to "see" and "feel" Gods moving in our life... So very thankful for the blessings bestowed upon us, and as if just for extra measure has brought more"family" into our lives... Thank You Lord!!




Trust everyone has a wonderful week...

CT Townsend - I have been blessed

I'm not for sale!

Thank God For The Preacher

I Just Can't Get Over That I'm Under the Blood

Bro Kenny Baldwin.. Love this song!

"It Is Well" By The Isaacs

WOW 24 hours

I went lil over 24 hours WITHOUT my Black Berry!!! WOW..... it was kinda like a mini vacation.. ha... I did the unthinkable and let my phone go "swimming"... there is a very very funny story behind it that only a few select know the "intimate" details.. ha!! So "my peeps" ya know the NETWORK that follows me everywhere I go?!? Ya they had my back and rushed me a new one right away!!! Thank the Lord, didn't cost me a cent!!! So now I can be reached,(maybe) ha!! If ya called, text, emailed, and I never responded now ya know why... I hardly ever actually log into my email on the desk top.... guess I should more often... lol..


So went to the DR yesterday and have some stuff to do, but I am here breathing, blogging, and all will be OK... lol..

God is good, life is good, we are blessed!

Listen to the words..." The Cross made the difference for me"

Oswald Chambers-My Utmost for His Highest

Daily Devotional

You must be born again —John 3:7

The answer to Nicodemus’ question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” is: Only when he is willing to die to everything in his life, including his rights, his virtues, and his religion, and becomes willing to receive into himself a new life that he has never before experienced ( John 3:4 ). This new life exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness.

“But as many as received Him. . .” ( John 1:12 ). Is my knowledge of Jesus the result of my own internal spiritual perception, or is it only what I have learned through listening to others? Is there something in my life that unites me with the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior? My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.

“. . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ” (John 3:3). Am I seeking only for the evidence of God’s kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? The new birth gives me a new power of vision by which I begin to discern God’s control. His sovereignty was there all the time, but with God being true to His nature, I could not see it until I received His very nature myself.

“Whoever has been born of God does not sin. . .” ( 1 John 3:9 ). Am I seeking to stop sinning or have I actually stopped? To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning. The Bible never asks, “Should a Christian sin?” The Bible emphatically states that a Christian must not sin. The work of the new birth is being effective in us when we do not commit sin. It is not merely that we have the power not to sin, but that we have actually stopped sinning. Yet 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin— it simply means that if we will obey the life of God in us, that we do not have to sin.

The Compassion of a Soulwinner

August 13, 2010 by Paul Chappell

In a recent blog post, I pointed out the convictions of urgency, eternity, and salvation that motivate the passionate soulwinner. Yet the heart of a soulwinner must carry more than conviction to be effective. The heart of Christ, the greatest soulwinner ever, overflowed with compassion for the lost.

Matthew 9:36 records, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Simply put, compassion moves us to passionate action. Genuine compassion will be tangibly expressed.

A soulwinner with the heart of Christ will express compassion in two ways:

Compassion to pray

The one prayer request Jesus gave us is for more laborers for the harvest of souls. In Matthew 9:37–38, He told His disciples: “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”

Has this prayer request made it to your prayer list? Are you asking the Lord to raise up soulwinners with a heart of compassion for the lost?

One benefit of praying for this need is that it reminds you to labor in the harvest fields yourself. It’s difficult to pray very long for dedicated soulwinners without being diligent in your own soulwinning.

Compassion to plan

The compassion of the Lord moved Him to see the need and take the lead: “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34).

Many times well-meaning Christians fail to be active soulwinners because they simply do not plan their time. Soulwinning is not an activity to fit in as it works or an opportunity to take advantage of if it happens across your path. It is a divine commission from Christ, and it is a priority to purposefully schedule into your regular routines.

The older I get, the more I realize the importance of investing my time wisely. Time is limited, and there are so many ways to waste it! I want to invest my time, rather than simply spending it. Compassionate soulwinning is a time investment with guaranteed returns. Psalm 126:5–6 promises, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”

At the end of life, our greatest joy will be the rewards of our eternal investments of time. Paul often expressed that those he had led to Christ and spiritually nurtured in discipleship were his “joy and crown”—his trophy.

“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?” (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

“Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” (Philippians 4:1)

What a joy it will be to stand before Christ with the fruit of souls! It can only happen as we develop the compassion of Christ for souls—compassion to pray for the lost and compassion to plan our time for the greatest investment possible.

Not the week I had planned

This is not the kind of week I had "planned" but God knows best of what we need..
After church Sunday night started having some issues, blood pressure, so on so forth... and few other things... what I thought a few Motrin would take care of ended up with needing stronger DRUGS and an ER visit( but I waited as I always do till the last minuet. late Tuesday night)...
the next morning after texting who has become a dear friend( and pastor's wife) back I could not believe the response.. Several more ladies called to encourage and see if we needed anything, I said no we are fine thanks for thinking of me( was blessed just by that)
Than I get a call and text being told meals were being brought over so I could rest.. Now isn't that just like God's family?!?
Completely unexpected and yet completely appreciative that God sent a blessing to our home this week in the form of.... Friendship... Very Blessed indeed!!
SO as I said, may not have been what I had planned, but God seen I needed something else instead!
God is good...
all the time...
All the time...
God is good!!

A Heart Burn for Jesus!

Bro.Kenny Baldwin

Stand

Thank you Jesus, You are more than Enough!

Will you be the one?

Somebody Preach... AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!

WCBC Youth Conference 2010 Thursday Evening: Kenny Baldwin from Lancaster Baptist Church on Vimeo.

Had a Blessed Lord's Day

BLUE RULES!!! I was the ONLY Blue in the Wiseman clan, Shelby was one too.. We brought it home baby.. oh yea!!!!
This lil guy stole my heart... he was adorable.
Some of the kids singing... this was after lunch so everyone was tired, sweaty, and excited all at the same time!!
Kaity and Shelby
Shelby, Kaitlyn, and Kelsey holding up their awards.. Good job girls!!

Had a good Sunday School hour, and Very Good message preached by Pastor Tony.. Bro Tom sang Chris Tomlin's Amazing Grace and did a fantastic job, Ms,Betsy(missionary to Canada) did the sign language to it, and she also shared her vision for her work she will be doing in Canada to help the church planters there.. Afterwords we had lunch and fellowship as a church with visitors and than wrapped up with VBS awards. We stayed for awhile after and helped clean up, got home and I don't think it was much more than a half an hour and we four girls were out like a light!! Steve stayed awake, don't know how he does it.. Tomorrow we will have company for a few days, just looking forward to relaxing.. Our "stay-cation" plans got put on hold but that's OK, plans change ya know!?! Here are a few pic's from today will post more later, still tired, and have an early morning tomorrow( even moms still work when relaxing right?) So thankful for the Blessed week and Day we had today...

almost the end to a great week

Last night was the last night for VBS and 4 kids were saved, was so encouraging to see that... Everyone pitched in after to set up for Sunday services. Than I think everyone is taking next week to vacation/stay-cation... That means vacationing right here at home.. so if you try to reach us and don't,, we are on vacation and leave a message and if it is life threatening, you are bleeding, or not breathing we will call you back.. if your dog got hit, your having anxiety, you need towels, soap, babysitter, or just want to chit chat... will have to happen when we get off stay-cation!!! We are shutting all phones off, and going to take time as a family to spend time together with NO interruptions!!! Reason being we need it for one, and two, the next few months.. well until the end of the year and beyond will be solid booked between school, church, family things, DR appointments... ya get the drift...

As soon as I get a chance will be posting pic's from VBS of the girls..

I need coffee, and am so tired think I need sleep more than coffee.. now that is a loaded statement! ha! Hope and trust everyone has a Blessed Weekend!
And I say everyone, I see y'all who lurk without commenting :) Come on don't be shy, its no different than Face book...lol

For Our Good

by Paul Chappell

Perhaps the most difficult thing to do in life is to thank God for the trials. Sometimes in life it is hard to balance what we know with how we feel. How do we bridge the gap between heartache and hope? I believe the answer is faith. The only way to resolve what I know from the Scriptures with what I feel in my heart is to put my faith in the Word of God. The Bible says in Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith is getting a word from God and believing it.

Romans 8:28 provides some of the greatest truth ever discovered in the Bible when it plainly and emphatically states: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” This verse speaks of the sovereignty of God in the affairs of His people. There are three lessons we can learn from this passage of Scripture.

The Believer’s Confidence
God is always working. Even when we can’t trace His hand, we can trust His heart. Our confidence rests in the unfailing love of God. Romans 8:38–39 reminds us of this truth: “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. The providence of God always sees our good.

Joseph suffered, but God used his suffering as a tool to save a nation. The Israelites endured affliction until God used the cry of a little baby in a basket to bring Pharaoh’s mighty kingdom crashing down. Peter denied the Lord, but God arched the rainbow of Romans 8:28 over what he did. And later, God used him on the Day of Pentecost to preach the sermon that was heard around the world.

The Believer’s Calling
One of golf’s immortal moments came when a Scotchman demonstrated the new game to President Ulysses Grant. Carefully placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President’s beard and surrounding vicinity, while the ball placidly waited on the tee. Again, the Scotchman swung, and again he missed. Our President waited patiently through six tries and then quietly stated, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.”

Man’s plan is temporal, but God’s plan is eternal. It is God who calls us, and it is God who accomplishes His will in us. The believer’s calling is to be conformed to the image of Christ while magnifying Him in the process. Romans 8:29 says, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” God has a plan. Spiritually, He will one day sanctify us to the image of Christ. Bodily, we will be like Him. First John 3:2 speaks of this: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

A grandpa and granddaughter were sitting and talking when she asked, “Did God make you, Grandpa?” He said, “Yes, God made me.” For a few minutes she examined her grandpa and then she looked at herself in the mirror. At last she spoke up,“You know, Grandpa, God is doing a lot better job lately.”

The Believer’s Culmination
As God’s plan unfolds, we become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer’s culmination is the believer’s glorification. The Bible speaks of this in Romans 8:30: “Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” As the songwriter wrote so long ago, “One glimpse of His dear face, ALL sorrow will erase…”

The promise of Romans 8:28 is not obvious for everybody. There is a condition to this verse and it is found in the phrase “to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” You cannot put your initials by this promise unless you love God. What encourages me about this conditional promise is that others may be able to give more than I can give. Others may be able to sing, or preach, or serve better than I can. But there is nobody on earth who can love God more than I can or you can. Nobody has a monopoly on loving God. Romans 8:28 works only for those who love God and are called to His glorious purpose. Thank God He is working all things for our good!

Mid week

We are almost to the end of VBS @ church, and it has been a great week... So many great folks working so hard to give our kids the truth and invest in their lives in light of eternity. Steve has really jumped in and helped( even with the crafts) has been nice to have his help this week... He goes back to work tomorrow( or I should say today) so will miss the last two days of VBS. Sunday morning is the wrap up and Dinner on the grounds, will be good fellowship and great food! Pray that the hearts of the children will be changed and will result in the families coming to know Jesus! Also praying for our nephew Ryan who is in TN @ youth camp with the church we attended while we lived in MO( go west wood) Praying his heart is changed this week as well!! ok I better get to bed... morning comes early!!! Have a great rest of the week everyone and weekend, and will post pictures soon as I get a chance!

Good follow up!

7 Ways to be a Godly Friend

by Paul Chappell

The close friendships I have shared with men like Dr. David Gibbs, Dr. Don Sisk, Dr. R.B. Ouellette, and others have taught me what an incredible treasure godly friends are. The Lord has often used them to encourage, strengthen, inspire, challenge, and sometimes convict me. Their role in my life causes me to want, not only to have godly friends, but also to be a godly friend! Following are some observations of the role of a godly friend:

1. Godly friends sharpen each other.
Proverbs 27:17 teaches us that “iron sharpeneth iron.” A godly friend will “sharpen” you, and you will “sharpen” him.

2. Godly friends assure each other through adversity. Godly friends love each other. Proverbs 17:17 teaches that friends love at all times—especially in adversity. Do you have the kind of friendship that unashamedly could declare love? The old saying is true, “Prosperity begets friendship; adversity reveals them.”

3. Godly friends participate with each other. Proverbs 18:24 teaches that friends show themselves friendly. I believe this is a picture of action. Godly friends are eager to cooperate, encourage, and help each other.

4. Godly friends rejoice for one another. A Swedish proverb states, “Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.” Godly friends rejoice in the blessings of a friend. This kind of relationship is no place for jealousy, comparison, or envy.

5. Godly friends forgive one another. Friends will eventually hurt each other—and usually unintentionally. Yet, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is peace. Godly friends resolve tension and quickly forgive.

6. Godly friends do not share or harbor anger. Proverbs 22:24 teaches that we should avoid friendship with an angry or furious man. Yes, there are some men the Bible simply teaches us to avoid or break from. A godly friendship will not be characterized by shared anger or bitterness.

7. Godly friends spark the truth in each other. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend….” Godly friends are not afraid to lovingly and appropriately speak the truth to one another. In fact, they long to hear the truth from each other. They recognize that everybody has “blind spots,” and they rejoice that God has given them “another set of spiritual eyes” to help guide, guard, and protect. Beyond that, godly friends rejoice in truth. They discover truth together. They talk about truth. They encourage each other in it and through it. Truth is the common bond of their hearts—a love for God’s Word and a love for communicating His truth to people.

Great Biblical advice on friendships/relationships

Thoughts about Friendship

September 25, 2009 by Paul Chappell

Many Christians are not prayerful and intentional about the friendships in their lives. Some just “happen” into “fun” relationships without considering the great potential for good or bad in every relationship. This is a dangerous way to approach something so vital.

The book of Proverbs teaches that friends will come from 4 spiritual gene pools:

• The Wise—Proverbs 1:5, “A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:”
• The Simple—Proverbs 14:15, “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”
• The Foolish—Proverbs 1:7, “…fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
• The Scornful—Proverbs 15:12, “A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.

From which spiritual gene pool are you drawing your friends? The desire of a wise Christian is to find spiritual and wise friends—friends who walk in the Spirit. These are friends whose primary interests are things other than the latest YouTube video or funny joke. They actually add to your life in maturing and fun ways.

When you find godly friends, the contribute to your life in three wonderful ways:

1. A Spiritual Friend Is Honest When You Are Not Glorifying God.—Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
2. A Faithful Friend Sharpens You as A Christian—Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
   (Note—If you are prone to carnal speech, a good friend is someone whose presence reminds you that such behavior is not becoming of godliness. For instance, if you are a loud and cutting young person, a good friend will not draw you into boisterous behavior and talk.)
3. A Helpful Friend Is Encouraging in Spirit—Proverbs 18:24, “A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

It is often said we will become like the books we read, the media we watch and the friends we keep. Indeed, “Nearness is likeness.” Do your friends sharpen you spiritually or do they dull you? A Christian leader’s closest influences should not be the unsaved or carnal Christians. Make good friends today—your future walk and testimony depend upon today’s decisions!

Youth Rally @ San Carlos AZ

The above are a few pictures from the youth rally we went on Monday. We rode in the church bus 3 VERY HOT hours there and 3 very LOUD but fun hours home!! There was a great youth message from Bro.Tony to the youth, followed by a hilarious game(oh what a goose I am).. good game of volley ball, snacks, and a game called "Cheetos head" the kids got to throw Cheetos at 2 of the boys from our youth group that had a head of "shaving cream" kids really enjoyed that one!! Everyone had a GREAT time and was a blessing to encourage and be encouraged by the mission work in San Carlos. I had never been there, never had even heard of it. Steve has been there, but not the girls or myself... We had a great time of fellowship!!